By: Dawda Baldeh
President Adama Barrow has vowed to set up a commission that will be tasked with the responsibility of investigating rice projects in the country’s Central River Region (CRR).
Barrow made this promise whilst addressing a huge rally in Janjangbureh. This comes after residents in that part of the country raised concerns about the ongoing projects and asked the government to intervene.
Barrow promised to invite the authorities responsible for the projects to provide tangible information about the rice value chain projects, adding that he will not sit back and watch people do whatever they want in the country.
“I will set a commission to investigate these rice projects. The price of rice is a concern to me,” he said. Adding that the authorities must explain what is keeping the project from being completed.
He promised the people of Janjangbureh that they will get their rice farms back. He said agriculture remains his government’s priority. President Barrow further stated that the only way the price of rice can be reduced is through rice farming.
He noted that the price hikes on basic commodities especially rice is his main concern.
“The authorities must explain to me about the projects,” he said. “I will take a decision and set a commission to investigate the projects. This is not about politics it is about national development.”
Samba Marong head of rice farmers in CRR South said the projects that came to the region identified nine rice fields and none of them has been completed over a period of three years. Noting that it has affected their rice production.
He said they are farmers and they depend on rice farming to make a living.
“We want the government to know the pain we are going through,” Samba Marong said.
He also noted that another project identified as ‘NEMA’ in Janjangbureh took their rice fields from them claiming to change their way of farming. This he said does not favour them and called on the government to act.
